Pearls of Snow
by minervamcgonagalls
Summary: AU. The king's death leaves the selfish crown prince as ruler of Arendelle. Elsa accidentally reveals her powers, fleeing the palace with the queen and Anna to avoid a death sentence. Living as peasants, Anna finds what she thinks is love, while Elsa wonders if people are right to call her "witch" and want her dead. Kristanna, Elsa/OC. Somewhat inspired by Sense and Sensibility.
1. Prologue

**Am I the only one who's noticed how similar Elsa and Anna are to Elinor and Marianne Dashwood? Elsa and Elinor are both reserved and keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves, whereas Anna and Marianne are both outgoing and very expressive of their feelings—and each fall for the wrong guy before eventually ending up with the one they initially disliked. Even the sisters' names are similar. **_**El**_**sa. **_**El**_**inor. **_**Ann**_**a. Mari**_**ann**_**e. Anyway, this fic was heavily inspired by that train of thought. The overarching plot of this story is its own, with Elsa being hunted for witchcraft and all that lovely stuff, but it will definitely borrow elements from S&amp;S.**

**EDIT 20th June, 2015: Working on improving this. Third person present is the only writing tense I'm worth anything in, really.**

* * *

_~ "Your power will only grow.  
There is beauty in it,  
but also great danger." ~_

The king of Arendelle lies dying.

No one is quite sure of the reason. He does not have any sickness the royal physician can diagnose. His skin is cold as ice, and the hands of his family members are left bright red if they hold his hand for too long. All but those of his eldest daughter, who wears a pair of gloves for every minute of every day of her life.

She's at her father's side constantly, holding his hand, her blue eyes filled with tears she feels she does not deserve to shed. As she sees it, this is her fault.

When the queen and Elsa's younger sister, Princess Anna, leave the room for a moment, Elsa swallows and whispers, "I'm so sorry, Father."

"It's not your fault, Elsa. You were only trying to help."

And she had been.

She hadn't meant to strike his heart with her ice last week. She was trying to save his life. His horse had thrown him, and Elsa saw him go flying.

"Father!" she'd cried.

And she sent the burst of snow to break his fall. She should have known it was a foolish thing to do—had she learned _nothing_ from the incident with her younger sister all those years ago? The troll _had _said that night that he could not have helped Anna if her heart had been struck, and Elsa knew very well that the statement applied to anyone whose heart had been frozen.

But fear for her father's life got the better of her. She saved him in that particular moment, but in doing so has condemned him to a fate far worse.

His death will take a while—the queen keeps the fire in the bedchamber hearth blazing at all times to keep the frost at bay—but it will come. In all its freezing agony, it will come.

"I'm so sorry," Elsa says again.

The queen enters the room. "Josef has returned," she says, her voice hollow. "He tells me he stopped his travels and started for home the moment he heard." Josef, eldest of the royal children, is the crown prince.

"Tell him to come in," says the king. "I need to speak with him alone."

Elsa swallows. "Alone?"

"It's only for a few moments, Elsa."

The last thing she wants to do is leave, but she nods. "All right."

The queen beckons Josef in and then takes Elsa's hand, gently leading her from the room and closing the door behind her.

Josef sits in the chair that Elsa was just in. "Don't worry, Father. You will be well soon enough, and—"

The king shakes his head and looks his son directly in the eyes. "Denying the truth is pointless. I'm going to die, and your mother has made it clear that she does not want to rule alone. She has decided to step down after I am gone, and you will have to assume the throne. I expect you to think of your subjects and make decisions with their best interests in mind."

"Of course, Father."

"I also expect you to listen to any advice your mother and sisters give you. You have been travelling with your wife for years while I have been well and ruling, but your mother and sisters have remained here, and they will know things about Arendelle and its alliances that you might not."

"I will listen to them, I promise."

"And finally, take good care for your mother for me, and both of your sisters—particularly Elsa. Be gentle with her, especially if she reveals ..." The king trails off.

Josef frowns. "Reveals what?"

The king merely says, "You will understand what I mean if she reveals it to you. Until then, her secrets are hers to keep."

Josef nods again. "All right."

The king coughs. "Go. Send Elsa and your mother in, but not Anna. She doesn't know. Wait outside with her—"

"Why? What's happening?"

"Do as I say."

Josef stands and walks to the door, pulling it open and exchanging a few words with Elsa and the queen. Then Elsa and her mother both push past him. Elsa stops to shut the door and then sprints to her father's left side, and the queen rushes to his right, weeping and taking his hand. Through her tears, she tells him that she loves him, and he says the same to her.

Then he turns to Elsa. The skin on his fingertips is solid ice, which spreads upward to his wrist.

Elsa clutches his icy hand and sobs for the first time since she was very young. She cannot manage words until the ice has spread up to his neck, when she chokes out a few of them that a child might say. "Don't leave me, Papa. Please."

Though she can tell it pains him, he manages a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine, Elsa."

And the king of Arendelle dies, frozen solid with a smile on his face.


	2. 01

**Many thanks to those of you who've reviewed and favorited and followed.**

* * *

_~ "Do you want to build a snowman?" ~_

Very few people are allowed to see the body, but the rumors spread anyway. According to Kai and Gerda, murmurings of witchcraft fill the village, and people glance at strangers in fear. "It could be anyone," Gerda tells Anna. "The question on everyone's mind is, 'Who might they kill next?'"

Elsa shuts herself up in her room for the rest of the day after the king dies. At her mother's pleading, she emerges for dinner. But when Josef's wife, Frida, declares that the king's murderer must be hunted and killed, Anna swears she hears her sister gasp in fear.

"Elsa, what's wro—"

Elsa stands and swiftly leaves the room, hugging her arms to her chest.

"Good Lord, what's with her?" Frida's expression darkens. "By her response, one would almost think she was afraid—as if she were responsible for—"

"Elsa isn't a witch," says Anna through clenched teeth.

"A weak heart, then? Certainly not an ideal trait for royalty."

"She isn't weak, either," Anna says fiercely. "She's just hurting."

Elsa does not attend the funeral.

All attempts to get her to emerge are met with silence and an unopened door. Silence, as though the king's death means nothing to her. An unopened door, as though the grief of her loved ones is unimportant. The queen weeps and pleads with her to come out, but to no avail.

Anna seethes in anger for a while. But then, two days after the funeral, as she passes Elsa's room, she hears something coming from inside it. Doing her best to be quiet, she walks to the door and leans her ear against it.

Elsa is sobbing, drawing frequent, shaky breaths, as though trying and failing to put an end to it.

Anna's anger vanishes almost immediately. She knocks on the door. "Elsa?"

Immediate silence.

Anna sighs and steps away from the door.

* * *

It takes days of pleading from her mother, but Elsa finally emerges for Josef's coronation. She she's as distant with Anna as she has always been, but at least she's present.

She does not speak a word to Josef or Frida after they are crowned king and queen. At the customary ball afterward, she stands in a far corner of the room, gloved hands firmly clasped, and watches the crowd.

That is her specialty—watching people and determining things about them.

That Duke of Weselton, for example, is certainly a handful. She met him once when she was a little girl, before her parents closed the gates. His arrogance was obvious even then, but now she watches him filch pastries from peoples' plates when they aren't looking. The refreshments table is a mere walk across the room, but she supposes he's too lazy for that. An arrogant sneak who takes advantage of others' work. She'll have to warn her brother.

Idunn is not present; she spoke of a terrible headache earlier. Elsa regards her as lucky.

But Anna is here, currently dancing with a grey-haired lord. They pass near Elsa at one point in the dance, and Elsa catches bits of polite conversation. Anna gives her sister a tentative smile as they pass, and Elsa waves.

She looks in the direction of the refreshments table, longing for a plateful of chocolate pastries, when she sees an elderly lady drop her plate of food. A young gentleman with dark hair—a foreign trait common in the Erunin, the kingdom Elsa's mother and Queen Frida are both from—bends to clean it up for her, and then offers her his own plate. Elsa smiles at the gesture.

An older gentleman asks Elsa to dance. She declines.

His approaching her seems to let others know of her presence, and she is forced to turn down several more offers, politely explaining to each of them that she does not dance, not with anyone, and not ever.

The young gentleman who helped the old woman approaches Elsa after all the others have left her. He holds a glass of punch in one hand and a plate of small chocolate pastries in the other.

"You're not going to ask me to dance, are you?" Elsa asks him. "You must have seen my response to all the other—"

He shakes his head before she can finish. "No. Actually, I thought you might like some company."

"I'm perfectly fine with watching the party."

"Are you?"

She's caught off-guard by this. "What do you mean?"

"I ... er, well, you see, I noticed you earlier in the evening, and a few more times throughout. You seem sad. And I know your father has just died, but it isn't that. There's something else ... I'm sorry. I shouldn't ..." He holds out the glass and the plate of pastries. "I brought these over for you. I noticed you've been staring at the chocolate desserts when you aren't busy scanning the crowd."

Elsa smiles and reaches for the plate. "Oh, thank you!" She bites into a pastry, savoring the rich flavor.

The gentleman stands patiently, still holding the glass of punch.

Elsa looks down at the floor. "Oh, it's hardly proper, but would you mind if I sat?" She doesn't want to make him stand there holding the glass for her.

"It's your kingdom, not mine," he says good-naturedly. So Elsa sits, legs curled to one side as though she is on a picnic, and rests the plate of pastries on the floor in front of her.

He sits next to her, carefully handing her the glass so as not to spill. "I'm afraid it's not very cold—"

"Oh, that's all right," says Elsa. His easygoing nature has made her feel relaxed by extent, and she allows herself to remove her left glove before taking the glass from him. Very briefly, she allows herself to use her power and cool the punch, and then sets it on the floor beside her while she puts the glove back on.

The gentleman looks puzzled as Elsa sips the punch, now ice-cold, but says nothing. Bless him.

"I believe you know who I am," says Elsa. "But I don't think I know—"

"—who I am?" he finishes with a smile. Elsa nods, and the gentleman says, "Prince Erland of Elrunin."

Elsa nearly chokes. "_Crown _Prince Erland? Frida's younger brother?"

He nods. "I'm afraid so. Impossible at times, isn't she?"

"Very." Elsa bites into another pastry.

"Your Highness-" Erland begins.

"You may call me Elsa."

"Elsa, then. I don't mean to pry, but ... the gloves. Why do you wear them constantly?"

Elsa feels her stomach curl into a tight not, but does her best to maintain a calm appearance. "How do you know I wear them constantly?"

"You took one off to take the glass from me, and then you set the glass down and immediately put the glove back on. You seemed anxious, like your life depended on it."

_It very well might_, Elsa thinks, remembering Frida's words. _"The king's murderer must be hunted down and killed. Witchcraft of any sort cannot be condoned ..."_

"I have a condition," Elsa says cautiously. "And I have to wear the gloves because of it. It's also the reason I don't dance. The gloves are a precaution, but they aren't a guarantee of protection for anyone. What I have, it's ... it's catching, you see." She's saying too much, but she can't seem to stop herself. While the years of secrecy and loneliness have made her anxious, they have also made her desperate for an understanding friend. True, she hardly knows Erland, but he seems genuine, and Elsa has confidence in her ability to judge a person's character...

"I see," says Erland. His tone is not mocking or disbelieving; it's casual, as though Elsa has just told him her favorite color or the time of day.

"Will you be going home as soon as the ball is over, or are you staying here awhile?" Elsa asks.

"Staying here, for a little while at least. My sister might be the queen now, but I'm not sure she'll do the best job of assuring the people of Arendelle that Elrunin wants only peace with them. My mother was going to send an ambassador, but he was old and rather stuffy, and I decided to come in his stead. I've heard stories about the beauty of Arendelle, and I wanted to see it for myself."

"What do you think?" Elsa starts on the last pastry.

"It's beautiful. Even nicer than everyone's described." He nods to Elsa's plate. "And I've never tasted such good pastries."

To her own surprise, Elsa laughs. It seems it's been years since she last did so.

And then she realizes it has.

* * *

Erland stays. Elsa keeps laughing. Her mother and sister smile to see her happy, and Frida looks on in scorn.

Autumn comes to an end, and soon the ground is covered in snow, which Elsa is glad for. She feels most relaxed in winter, when she can let loose a bit of her power without being noticed.

She and Erland sit at a windowseat one morning, looking out at the snow. Elsa talks of her childhood, of fond memories of skating in with Anna, building snowmen with their parents ...

Tears prick at her eyes as she thinks of her father securing the carrot nose on a snowman. Erland hands her his own handkerchief, and she dabs her eyes with it.

"We should build one," Erland says. "In his memory."

Elsa looks up at him and nearly laughs despite her tears. "What?"

"It's one of your fondest memories of him, isn't it?"

She nods.

"Well, then why not do it? Anna could help. And your mother."

"You're ridiculous," she tells him fondly.

Half an hour later, Elsa, Anna, their mother, and Erland have gathered in the courtyard to build a snowman. Anna smiles when Elsa removes her gloves to touch the freshly-fallen snow, and their mother looks on in amazement. Elsa gives her what she hopes is a reassuring smile. To Erland, who looks puzzled, she says, "I've been told the cold helps it."

"Helps what?" Anna asks, a slight frown on her face as she looks at her sister.

"Your sister's hand condition," says Erland. "Didn't you know?"

"Oh, yes," Anna says, although it's clear she has no idea what he meant. "Right."

They name the snowman Agdar in the king's honor. Anna, who has brought a carrot from the kitchens, puts it into place as her father always did. "I miss you, Papa," she whispers.

It's their mother who throws the first snowball.

It's a loosely-packed one, hitting Anna's shoulder with a _poof_. Anna throws one back at her immediately, and then Elsa and Erland are in on it too, throwing snowballs at each other and at the other two. Elsa cheats a few times when none of them are looking; using her powers to conjure snowballs immediately rather than having to pack them together with her hands. Anna tells her, "If this princess thing doesn't work out, you have a chance at professional snowball-making." She throws one at Elsa, who dodges with ease.

"Anna, you know perfectly well there's no such job," she says, tossing one at Anna and grinning when it hits her left shoulder.

Afterward, the four of them sit together on one of the stone benches, admiring the snowman they've built. Elsa puts her gloves on once again, a bit panicky because she's realized she held one of Erland's hands without them. He's gloved, of course, not having ice powers that make him a friend to the cold. But what good would that do against Elsa?

_Keep it together_, she tells herself. _You still have to be careful._

"I wish it could be like this all the time," Anna says as they all return indoors for the noon meal.

_So do I_, thinks Elsa, clasping her hands tightly together. _But it can't_.

Winter is a wonderful mask, but unfortunately, it does not last forever.

* * *

**\- According to DisneyWiki, the king's name is Agðar (translating to Agdar) and the queen is Iðunn (Idun/Idunn.) So, I'll be using these names for them.**

**\- This chapter was, for the most part, good fun. The calm before the storm, I guess. Trouble will definitely start in the next one.**

**Thoughts? Do let me know in a review.**


	3. 02

**Annnd here we go. It starts off sweetly, but as I promised, the trouble starts in this chapter.**

* * *

_~ "Make one wrong move,  
and everyone will know." ~_

The royal family, along with Erland, have been eating their evening meal in uncomfortable silence thus far. Elsa and Erland made the mistake of entering the room laughing together, and the look Frida gave them was full of such scorn that Elsa had the urge to jump behind Erland and hide. She even felt ice threatening to emerge. The gloves would not let it pass, however, and only a very thin sheet of it managed to form along her left palm. Thankfully, it melted when she clenched her fist, although the glove took several minutes to dry and return to its normal color.

"This winter is the fiercest I have seen in all my life," says Idunn, in an attempt to break the silence.

Frida has been glaring at Elsa all throughout the meal. Even now, as she answers Idunn, her glare does not leave Elsa. "I do wonder how the people of Arendelle have managed to survive for so long. I find this weather unbearable."

"You'll become accustomed to the cold. It certainly did not take me long." Idunn's gaze flicks toward Elsa for a fraction of a second.

"Well, Mistress Idunn, I do hope I will be able to say the same about myself in the near future. And I hope that this winter will not last as long as some of Arendelle's previous ones have been known to." Frida bites into a roll.

"It'd be nice if it lasted all year," says Anna, her tone polite but bordering on defiant. Elsa gives her a warning kick to the leg, but Anna ignores it. "We like your brother too much to want him to have to leave."

Elsa puts her napkin to her lips and whispers so that only her sister can hear, "Anna, enough."

Anna has the sense to listen for once, and takes a sip from her goblet.

"I'm flattered, Your Highness," says Erland smoothly, giving Anna a nod and stealing a glance at Elsa.

Elsa takes a sip from her own goblet and hopes she isn't blushing.

* * *

"It really is beautiful." Erland gestures to icicles formed on the branch of a tree. "Winter, I mean."

He and Elsa sit in the courtyard, on the stone table instead of on one of the benches, which are completely buried. The snow is deeper than ever, but the sun peeks out from between the clouds today, and Erland said earlier that he wanted to make the most of it.

"You _really _think so?" Elsa didn't intended to say it, but it slipped out somehow

He looks puzzled. "Why wouldn't I?"

She laughs nervously. "Well, for one thing, it's ... It _is _very cold." Why can't she think of something more creative? Erland had donned a thick fur cloak before they had come outside, but Elsa merely put on her boots and wrapped a scarf around her neck. Honestly, what _had _she been thinking?

She feels ice threatening once more; the gloves are barely holding it back.

"Well, yes, I suppose it is. But it's a small price to pay for days like this." He scoops a handful of snow from the ground and studies it. "Is all your snow like this?"

Elsa relaxes slightly. "Like what?"

"I can see every individual snowflake. At home, when we get snow, it's nothing but soggy mush. This snow ... It looks like jewels. It's beautiful. An art, almost."

Elsa swallows and feels her heart pounding. She's been so happy for the past few weeks, and finally expressed it last night by influencing the snow brought by the blizzard; enlarging the snowflakes amongst other things. She didn't think anyone would notice.

A small lump of snow forms in each of her palms, stretching her gloves out just slightly. Foolishly, she gasps, and Erland looks before she can hide her hands. He frowns in concern. "Elsa, what ...?"

She stands and turns away. "Nothing. It's nothing. I swear—"

He stands too. "Elsa, let me see your hands."

"Erland, please. I don't want—" Tears begin to form in her eyes, and she finds she can't finish her sentence.

"You don't want what?" His voice is gentle.

"I don't want you to hate me."

She barely even whispered it, but he's heard. "Why would I hate you?"

It's a mad impulse, but Elsa acts on it, tearing off her left glove as if it burns, and shakes the snow into her palm. "Because of this."

"I don't understand."

She takes a deep breath and says the next words in a rushed whisper, "I made this. The snow I am holding. I am responsible for my father's death. But I didn't intend for it to happen, I swear! His horse threw him. I removed a glove and tried to conjure up a pile of snow to save him. It took two tries. The second burst of magic was successful and created the soft pile beneath him, but the first ... Oh, the first, it was terrible. I struck his heart. I was emotional and not thinking clearly, and I struck his heart." The tears that have been welling up in her eyes spill down her cheeks at last. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid_. If I'd just been calm and thinking clearly, I'd have saved him. But I let the fear and other stupid emotions get the better of me, and I ... I ..."

Words fail her, and she begins to sob at the memory. The sky darkens immediately with her sadness, and a light snow begins to fall. Erland looks at the weeping Elsa and then up at the clouded sky and falling snow, and she can tell he's figured out their connection to her feelings.

She expects him to rush back inside and straight to his sister. But he doesn't. He puts a hand on Elsa's shoulder and speaks gently. Her mind doesn't register the exact words he's saying; only that they're comforting. The thought that someone not related to her by blood can know of her powers and not think her a monster almost overwhelms her.

She stops weeping eventually, but is unable to stop the snow from falling. That's all right. People would suspect something if it stopped abruptly and the clouds vanished.

She hands control of it over to nature.

Erland helps her to the table to sit once again.

"Are you going to tell Frida?" she asks him, putting her glove back on.

He shakes his head. "Not now, and not ever. Not if my life depended on it."

"Anna, then?"

He frowns. "I thought she would have known already."

Elsa takes a deep breath. "She did, when we were little. But I tried to save her life at one point, and accidentally struck her in the head. She was ice cold and not moving. We all rode out to visit the trolls—my mother has a cousin who lives in a village near them, and he'd written to her about them before. Said they had magic that could cure just about any sickness... Anyway, we took Anna to them. The oldest one was able to remove the ice from her head. I remember the exact words he said. 'I recommend we remove all magic, even_ memories _of magic.' It was supposed to help her, in the long run. And because of that, we never told her."

He's silent, but she's able to look him in the eyes again. "Are you going to try to make me tell her?"

He considers for a moment. "I think it would be wise for you to tell her, but I'm not going to _make _you do anything. They are your powers. You decide whom to reveal them to."

"Do you think they make me a monster?" It's a horrible question, she knows, but she had to ask it.

"No," he tells her. Then he blushes slightly. "I think they're beautiful."

* * *

No one knows what Elsa and Erland discussed in the courtyard that day, but a change occurs in Elsa afterward.

She still wears her gloves and heavy gowns, and keeps her hair up in a bun. But she smiles at everyone, not just at Erland. Her gait is freer; she allows herself to walk as a normal young woman rather than the grand, perfect princess she's always striven to be. Perfection, for some reason, doesn't matter to her as much now as it once did. She's got a friend; a real one who thinks her powers are beautiful.

Erland keeps her calm. She still wears her gloves around him, but more often than not, they cause her hands to be constantly overwarm and are useful for little else. The ice rarely threatens to emerge when she's with him, even if she's experiencing a very strong emotion. And when it does threaten, it's very brief.

She isn't sure what it all means. But she is so glad to have found a friend she can be around without (for the most part, anyway) fear.

She still can't bring herself to tell Anna about the ice magic. How would her beloved little sister react to the knowledge that she's been deceived for most of her life?

Part of her whispers that Anna would be happy to no longer be shut out, but fear holds Elsa back.

She does talk to her, though. Not all the time, like when they were little, but enough. One afternoon as they lounge in Elsa's room while a blizzard rages outside the palace, it's apparently become enough to make Anna remark, "What's gotten into you, Elsa? And I don't mean that to complain. This is good. Us talking together, I mean. I've missed talking to you." She sits in the chair by Elsa's fireplace, which is lit for once, sipping hot chocolate.

Elsa, lying across her bed and reading a book while listening to Anna talk, says, "I've missed talking to you, too."

Anna smiles. "I'm glad Erland came."

"What does he have to do with anything?"

"I don't know. But the change started after he came. He makes you happy, and that's doing wonderful things for you."

Elsa is silent, having a fair guess as to where this is going.

Anna says, "You like him, don't you?"

"I'm fairly sure being able to use the word 'friend' to describe someone means you like being around them," Elsa says dryly.

"Oh, you _know_ what I mean. When's the wedding? Oh, and why did you have to go and pick a _crown_ prince, of all the men you could have chosen from? He'll have to inherit the throne in his kingdom, and you'll have to go with him and be so far from home."

"Elrunin isn't _that _far away. They share a border with us, a hundred miles or so from Valley of the Living Rock—the place where the trolls are supposed to live." Elsa swallows. "And anyway, I do like Erland and I would trust him with anything, but I haven't ... _picked _anyone. And I don't plan on ever doing so."

"Oh, don't talk like that. I can't stand it. You'll find someone eventually. And honestly, I'm placing my bets on Erland."

"Princesses do not place bets, Anna," Elsa says evenly.

"You know, I always have these odd dreams where I'm being kissed by a troll. My life is in danger, or something, and they heal me with their magic."

Elsa blinks at the sudden shift in topic, closes her book, and sits up to look at her sister. "_What_?"

Anna laughs. "Sorry. You mentioned trolls living in Live Rock Valley—"

"Valley of the Living Rock."

"Yes, that. And I and I just thought ... I don't know. I thought you might laugh. But you didn't, obviously, so this is slightly awkward for me."

Someone knocks on the door before Elsa can reply.

"Come in," she and Anna say together.

Their mother enters the room. "I came to tell you myself before news spread and everyone started shouting."

"Tell us what?" Anna cocks her head inquisitively, looking very much like a little girl.

"Frida is expecting a child."

Elsa collapses back onto her pillows. "What?!"

"Yes," Idunn says gravely.

Anna voices everyone's thoughts for them. "It will be spoiled rotten if it's a boy, and ignored for most of its life if it's a girl. Frida's so demanding and mean, and while Josef isn't, he's so easily talked into things. He'd jump off the balcony if she told him to."

"Thank you for that assessment," says Elsa, sitting up. She looks at her mother. "How did you react when they told you?"

Idunn smiles as if she's remembering something very amusing. "I think they expected me to jump up and down—oh joy, I'm going to be a grandmother!—but all I was capable of saying was, 'Oh.' And then I had to force myself to add, 'Congratulations.' They stood there and stared at me as if I were mental."

Elsa laughs. "Has Erland heard?"

"I don't think so. He's been in the library all day, and you know how Frida hates the library."

Anna pinches her nose, and in her best imitation of Frida, says, "It smells of old wood and dust, the first of which I find quite nice, but the latter of which I absolutely cannot abide."

They all laugh at this.

Then Idunn turns to Elsa and says, "I also thought you should know before they announced it—there's going to be a ball at the end of this week to celebrate. Only the Arendelle nobles will be coming, since they are used to travelling the snow, while those from many other kingdoms are not. But it will be a ball all the same."

"Another ball?" Elsa and Anna say together; Elsa's tone one of anxiety, Anna's one of excitement.

Idunn gives a gentle smile to her eldest daughter. "You'll be fine, Elsa."

* * *

Elsa _is_ fine, for most of the ball. She dances with Erland, much to the amazement of Anna and Idunn. Elsa, dancing? Is it really so?

Of course, she doesn't dance most of the time. She and Erland sit out their fair share of dances, talking and laughing together as always. But Elsa can feel Frida's scornful glare on them the whole time, and can't help but feel uneasy despite the cheery music and Erland's calming presence.

While Edward forces himself to make polite conversation with a baron, Elsa stops at the refreshments table to get herself a bit of punch, and Frida comes straight over to her. "My young brother is certainly charming, is he not?"

This can't be good. Elsa does her best to remain calm, and avoids answering the question directly. "He's become a very good friend to me." She took a sip of punch.

"Surely you are aware he is enamored with you."

Elsa coughs and nearly chokes. "What—"

"Yes, that's right. The girl who keeps secrets and refuses to talk to her sister for thirteen years, and he absolutely adores you."

"I don't keep secrets." A lie, a filthy, horrible lie Elsa should never have spoken. But Frida is making her anxious, and it slipped out as a matter of self-defense.

"Oh, really? Then tell me, why do you always wear those gloves?"

Elsa sets her glass of punch down on the table and hugs her arms to her chest. "Why do you want to know?"

"You said you don't keep secrets. If that's really the case, you will tell me."

Elsa takes a deep breath. "I have ... I have a skin condition, and it ... is contagious. That's why I wear the gloves, and why I don't dance."

"Oh? If you don't dance, then who is the girl with the white-blonde hair whom I have seen dance with my brother all night?"

"I ... The gloves are just a precaution. They can't truly guarantee the anyone's safety if I touch them. There's always the possibility ... Er, that is, the condition could spread anyway. But your brother ... he said he didn't mind—"

"Didn't mind being poisoned by you?" Frida laughs, but it is not in good humor. "Take off the gloves. I want to see this condition for myself."

Elsa feels herself trembling. "But, Frida—"

"_Your Majesty_."

"Right, yes, Your Majesty, I—"

"It was not a request, Elsa; it was an order."

"_Please_—"

"Now."

Elsa lifts her shaking left hand and removes the glove from it, revealing a pale hand in no worse condition than the rest of her skin.

Frida's glare is so full of loathing that Elsa takes a step back. And without realizing it, she touches the table with her ungloved hand.

Ice creeps up along the tablecloth and spreads over the food. Frida shrieks, and the dancing ceases immediately. Every single person in the room looks at Elsa, whose eyes fill with tears.

Frida points an accusing finger at her. "_You_," she says vehemently. "_Ice-witch_."

Elsa dashes away from the table and hopes to escape, but the guards now block the door that leads outside.

So she does the next-best thing she can think of. She turns and runs further in to the palace. There are many exits, of course, and she knows where to find secret ones. But the guards surely do as well, and will be waiting for her.

She turns several corners to lose the guards' trail, and then climbs the staircase to the next floor/ She doesn't dare go to her own room; instead runs to her mother's. She removes one of her hairpins in order to pick the lock, and quietly shuts the door behind her once she's inside, locking it once more. She doubts that anyone will look for her in here, and stands still for a moment to catch her breath.

Then she feels her heart begin to pound again; a sound is coming from the hall

Footsteps.

* * *

**-cough-Reviews don't have to be long, and they will still make my day.-cough-**

**And, of course, many thanks to those who have already reviewed. It really does mean the world to me.**


	4. 03

**Thank you to those who've reviewed and favorited and followed. You're the best.**

* * *

_~ Can't hold it back anymore. . . .  
Turn away and slam the door. ~_

Unable to think of a better alternative, Elsa dives under the bed. Her heart is pounding, but she has the sense to make sure the blankets will keep her concealed from anyone who walks in.

She strains to hear more than footsteps, and breathes a sigh of relief when she hears Gerda's voice saying, "Make way! Mistress Idunn is unwell." Then comes Anna's voice, not speaking any words, but making worried sounds.

Elsa's breath catches when she hears Erland say, "Is this her room?"

"Yes." Kai's voice. "Gerda, do you have the key?"

The lock on the door clicks in answer. Elsa holds her breath in case any of the guards decide to follow them into the room.

She hears one approach. "I should search the room first—"

Idunn speaks, sounding weak. "There's no need. I know my daughter ... perfectly well, and this ... is the last place she would hide."

"But, Mistress—"

"You heard what she said," Gerda snaps. "Can't you see she's unwell? She needs to rest, and you searching the room would not help her do that."

Elsa hears her close the door and lock it.

Footsteps approach the bed, and Elsa hears the sound of someone being placed on it.

"Rest, Mistress Idunn," says Erland.

Elsa swallows. Why does her mother need to rest? She already knows of Elsa's powers... Did the outburst make her faint?

But then, somewhat to Elsa's relief, Idunn says, "Elsa, I know you're in here. This is the last place people would expect you to hide, and you know that. Which is why you chose it."

Feeling foolish, Elsa crawls out from under the bed; from the side opposite the door so she won't bump into anyone's legs and embarrass herself further. She stands, brushes herself off, and looks at her mother. "Are you all right?"

"I'm perfectly fine," says Idunn, sitting up properly. "I had to create an excuse to get up here, where I knew you would be. But, with Frida declaring what she declared, I barely had to pretend."

"What did she say?"

Anna steps forward, looking angry for what is probably the first time Elsa had ever seen. "She said that you were a cruel ice-witched, that you murdered Papa, and that the person who finds you and brings you back, dead or alive, will be rewarded." Tears fill her eyes. "You didn't kill him, did you?" She says this so softly, it's almost a whisper.

"I ... I ..." Elsa stammers. Her hands shake. Snowflakes emerge and float down onto the rug.

Erland sees the snow and crosses over to Elsa, taking one of her hands in his own.

She gasps. "No, Erland, don't—"

"Elsa," he says, voice mild as always, "the snow is gentle. It isn't harming me." While she reels in shock at this, he looks over at Anna. "Elsa was trying to save your father's life when it happened. An accident. He was thrown off his horse, and Elsa—"

"I tried to save him," Elsa cuts in, voice trembling. She clutches Erland's hand tighter, but does not release more snow. "But the first attempt went wrong. I'd meant to create a pile of snow for him to land on, which I managed at the second attempt, but the first ..." She holds back tears. "I struck his heart. It worked from the inside out, slowly rendering him colder and colder, and then turning his skin to ice."

Anna swallows. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You knew years ago," says Idunn. "You and Josef both. Until Elsa struck your head. The trolls were able to remove the magic, but in order to ensure a full recovery, they had to remove your memories of magic as well. Josef called Elsa a monster after she struck you, and refused to go anywhere near her, and we knew that if he was going to be king one day, he couldn't know either. Not if we wanted Elsa to remain safe. He couldn't do anything while we were in power, but we knew that one day ... Well, it was better for everyone if he didn't remember." She nods to Kai and Gerda. "Besides your father and me, they were the only ones who kept their memories. And that was only in case anything happened to us."

Elsa nods. "I was so scared. I shut myself away to protect everyone. All I knew was fear, and that made it worse, just as the troll said it would."

Anna remains silent.

Elsa continues, "I ... I can't stay here. If I've been sentenced to death, I need to get away and hide."

"I know where we can go," says Idunn. "My cousin, the one who lives in the village near Valley of the Living Rock. He is the reason we knew to go to the trolls when Anna was struck. He's always told me, 'If you are ever in need—though, being queen now, I can't see why you ever would be—my doors are always open.' We can go to him. He is a merchant, and has become very wealthy. The trolls have taken a liking to him and give him many of their magical trinkets to take across the border to Elrunin and sell there, where the people are less ... superstitious about magic and the like."

"Perfect," says Elsa. "I'll go to him. He—"

"I'm coming with you," says Anna. "If you're leaving and escaping Frida, I'm going with you. You're not leaving me alone with her."

"But you won't be alone," Elsa protests. "You'll have Mother and—"

"No. I've lived without you for thirteen years. And now that I know the truth, it doesn't seem fair to—"

"Anna, please—"

"Girls," says Idunn. "You're both going, and so am I."

Neither of the princesses argue.

"I would like to go as well," says Kai. "You'll need someone who'll watch out for you, and being that I've known all of you for so many years, it's only right that I do so."

"And me," says Gerda, and that is all. She's never been one to mince words.

Idunn opens her mouth to protest, but Elsa speaks first. "Let them come along. Kai's right. We'll need people to watch out for us, and to vouch for our innocence if the need arises."

"There's just one problem," says Erland. "You'll be recognized."

"Not if we're careful," said Elsa. She lets go of his hand and walks to her mother's wardrobe.

Much to Elsa's relief, Idunn still has one commoner's dress from her days in Elrunin—the dress she wore to the marketplace the day she met the girls' father. Elsa hands this dress over to Anna whose ballgown is impractical for trudging through the snow. She also borrows a pair of her mother's winter boots, and a dark cloak.

Not having the option of also changing into a common outfit, Idunn merely picks the simplest gown she wears every day in the palace, pulling an especially heavy, hooded cloak over it to hide her face and the pattern embroidered on the skirt.

Seeing how Idunn's remaining gowns are just a bit too large for Elsa, she comes up with her own plan. While Anna and her mother pull the curtains around the four-poster bed shut so that Erland and Kai will not be able to see them change, Elsa uses her ice magic. She transforms her heavy ballgown into a light, ice-blue everyday dress, soft as fabric but cold to the touch. She also lets her hair out of its neat bun and instead wears it in a loose braid, freezing her bangs back out of her face so they won't hang in front of her eyes. She catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror afterward, and stares. She hardly recognizes herself.

She turns to Erland, who blinks several times at the transformation, but then says, "You look very fine."

Anna, too, blinks in amazement once she and Idunn have finished changing and pulled the bed's curtains open. "Whoa, Elsa, you look ... different. But it's a good different!" She touches the fabric of Elsa's sleeve. "It feels so real. Just a bit cold."

Idunn only smiles.

Anna lets her own hair out of its bun and begins to fashion it into two braids. "Once we're ready ... what do we do?" she asks her mother. "We can't just walk out into the hall. People will see us, and Elsa, and it ... It just won't be good."

"The balcony," says Elsa. "I can create a staircase for us all to walk down. Gerda, take a cloak from Mother's wardrobe; you'll need it, and Kai, take one from..." Her voice falters a bit. "Take one from Father's old wardrobe."

"But what if there are guards waiting for us once we are down?" Gerda asks, opening Idunn's wardrobe and selecting a large brown cloak.

Elsa frowns and chews on her bottom lip. "Right. I hadn't thought—" She has a sudden idea and doesn't finish her sentence. Waving her hand in a circle, she conjures snow and wind to form a small snowman.

The wind brings two buttons off one of King Agdar's old coats as Kai stands with the wardrobe open. Two knitting needles come from one of Gerda's pockets, and everyone watches in amazement as the buttons become pupils, the knitting needles become arms, and the snowman blinks up at them all.

"Hello, everyone," he says. "I'm Olaf. And I like warm hugs."

Idunn, Erland, and the two servants laugh, but Anna looks thoughtful.

"Olaf?"

"Uh-huh," says the snowman.

Anna looks up at her sister. "He's just like the one we built when we were little. But without the nose."

"Oh, I've always wanted a nose!" says Olaf the snowman, despite the fact that he has been alive for only a few moments. "Do you have one for me?"

"I don't, unfortunately," says Anna. "All the carrots are down in the kitchen, and we can't go down there right now."

"Oh," says the snowman, sounding a bit disappointed, but he brightens immediately afterward. "That's all right!"

"I'll have bring you a nose sometime," says Erland. "Once all of you are settled in your new home. I'll visit and bring carrots for you to choose from."

Olaf looks over at him. "Do you promise?"

"I promise."

"Oh, good! I like you. What's your name?"

"That's my friend Erland," says Elsa. "I am Elsa. My sister here is Anna, and these people"—she gestures to Idunn, and then to Kai and Gerda—"are our mother, Idunn, and our two good friends Kai and Gerda."

"Hello!" says Olaf, waving one of his knitting-needle arms in a friendly way.

"We'll have to get you some better arms, too, once we're out of here. Now ..." Elsa bends down to look the snowman in the eyes. "Olaf, there is a very mean woman who does not like my powers, and she wants to kill me because she thinks they're bad. We need to sneak out of the palace without getting caught. I have a plan, but I need your help. Do you see that balcony outside?" She points toward the double glass doors, and the snowman nods. "I'm going to create a staircase to help us get down. But we need you to check and see if there are any guards waiting for us down there. You'll have to be very quiet. Can you do that?"

The snowman bounces up and down, nodding. "Anything for you. You built me."

"Good," says Elsa. She walks to the balcony doors. "Brace yourselves," she says to everyone else, and pulls the doors open.

Wind howls, and snow drifts into the room. Elsa uses her magic to direct it away once she realizes what's happening, and beckons for Olaf to accompany her outside. When he's out, Elsa shut the doors behind them.

The wind howls and snow swirls up all around. Elsa can barely see two feet in front of her, but she makes her way to the balcony railing and rests her hands on it, closing her eyes and doing her best to concentrate.

She hears the familiar sound of ice being formed, and opens her eyes to see a beautiful staircase forming its way down to the ground. When it has completed, Elsa uses wind to lift Olaf over the railing and onto the first step of the staircase.

"Ready?" she asks him.

He nods and rushes down the staircase. Elsa holds her breath and waits.

"All clear," Olaf calls after a few moments, and she somehow hears him over the noise of the wind.

"All right. Wait for us," she calls back. She turns and pushes the doors to her mother's room open. "It's all clear."

Kai and Gerda rush out first. Elsa instructs them to swing their legs over the balcony railing and onto the first step of the ice staircase. "It'll be easy after that," she says.

Anna and Idunn come next, and then even Erland, though he doesn't have a cloak like the rest of them.

Elsa tries not to focus on the sadness of saying goodbye. "You'll freeze to death."

"I'm not worried. My best friend is the kingdom's dreaded ice-witch. And anyway, I'll only be out here for a few moments."

Elsa swallows, tears pricking at her eyes once again. "I'll miss you."

"I will miss you too." He tries to smile. "I'll write to you. Under a village name, of course, and then under my own once I've returned home in the spring. And I ... I'll try to keep my sister unaware of your leaving for as long as I can."

"Thank you," says Elsa. She sniffs and blinks back tears. Without a word, Erland reaches into his pocket and pulls out his handkerchief, which he hands to her.

"Keep it," he says.

"Thank you," Elsa says again as she dabs at her eyes with the handkerchief.

"Elsa," says Erland. "There's something—"

"Elsa, are you coming? We need to hurry!" Anna's voice, calling from the bottom of the staircase.

"I need to go," says Elsa. "And you need to get back inside. Your lips are turning blue already."

Erland nods. Though he does not finish his sentence, he takes Elsa's hand and leads her to the balcony railing, gently lifting her over it and onto the staircase, despite her initial protests that she can do it herself.

"Goodbye," he tells her.

"Goodbye," she replies, and rushes down to join her family, her servants, and her talking snowman.

* * *

**Poor Elsa and Erland.  
Any thoughts? Please let me know in a review! They really do make my day.**


End file.
